In A Perfect World
by 00LadyHecate00
Summary: Down on his luck and desperate, Gregory Goyle finds himself in a bookstore.


I wrote this piece more than two years ago and just kinda stumbled upon it again today, so I thought I'd post it.

Please keep in mind that I haven't read the Harry Potter series in years. So, like all my fics, this will be AU.

I hope you all enjoy this.

Standard disclaimer applies.

…...

 **In A Perfect World**

It was a winter's morning and this morning was particularly frigid. The icy wind bit at his exposed skin as he made his way through Hogsmeade. It wasn't as if he really wanted to be out in the cold so early in the morning, but life had not been particularly kind to Gregory Goyle after the war. He had been sentenced to two years in Azkaban, which wasn't long, but his father was serving a life sentence and his mother had disappeared. Sure, she wrote to him once a month, but she had left him all alone. With nothing. The Ministry had confiscated most of his family's assets and his mom up and left with what was left. All he was left with was an empty manor, no furniture, no food, nothing but an empty building.

So here he was, going from store to store, looking for a job. Needless to say, his efforts were futile thus far. No one wanted to hire an ex Death Eater and especially not an ex Death Eater with no working experience or special skills.

It had taken him a very long time to realise that life wasn't just a game and that his life at Hogwarts wouldn't last forever. He had never thought that he would ever have to part ways with his friends and be on his own. He was hopeless on his own. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

With a sigh, he decided to try the last shop. It wasn't the last shop on the block, but he had been avoiding it because of all the books in the window. He knew, just by peering into the window that he'd be terrible at working there.

Hermione sat at the counter with a large mug of hot cocoa, an even larger book and a content smile on her face. It was still too early to tell, but based on the weather alone, she'd guess that today would be a slow day.

"You're Granger," he said, staring at the young woman before him. She hadn't even noticed him walk in.

"Excuse me?" she said, looking up from her book.

"You're Granger," he said again. Her bushy hair seemed familiar, but it was only when he saw the book in front of her that he realised who she was.

"I have a name, you know," she said. "Who are you?"

The man grimaced at her question. He wasn't someone she would want to speak to, so he was glad that she did not recognise him. She wasn't someone he'd associate with either, but he had seen the bushy hair and the book and had been excited to see a familiar face.

"I've come to see the owner," he said, looking down at the ground.

"I am the owner," she said with a smile. "Would you like some hot cocoa?"

She gestured for him to follow her as she led him to a more comfortable section of the store, complete with old, brown leather sofas and a coffee table. She summoned the hot cocoa anyway, when he hesitated to answer. It was freezing outside and the young man before her looked like he needed it.

"So, what would you like to discuss with the owner?" she asked pleasantly.

"Uh, well… you see, I'm looking for work. Any work," he said, trying his best not to sound desperate. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined begging a mudblood for work and she wasn't just any mudblood either, she was Hermione friggin Granger. He had bullied her throughout her years at Hogwarts and she had never backed down. Never, not even when faced with the Dark Lord. She went in kicking and screaming and she had won the war together with the Order. She was brilliant and given the chance, she would probably hand his arse to him on a silver platter. But she was a mudblood and he was a pure-blood, so she was supposed to be inferior to him in every way.

Now, he may have been a bit slow, stupid even, but he knew one thing; and that was that Hermione Granger really was the brightest witch of her age. She out-classed all of them. But, he was raised to believe otherwise, so, nasty to her, he was.

"Well, we're not really looking to take on anyone, but if you leave your details I'll be happy to let you know if something comes up," she said. She stared at the young man opposite her. He was quite tall, not as tall as Ron, though. He had broad shoulders and dark hair which fell into his eyes.

"Please, I really need a job. I'll do anything. I could run your errands, I could clean the shop, I - I could even guard the door for you. I really need work," he pleaded with her.

She sighed. She could have him help her with the inventory, she thought. She had only opened a month ago and she had been running everything all by herself. Sure, her friends would pitch in sometimes, but she couldn't expect them to drop everything when she needed help at the shop.

"Do you have any work experience, any testimonials from teachers, maybe references I could have a look at? I need to be sure of who I'm hiring," she said. She wasn't good at this, hiring people. "Oh, and I forgot to ask, do we know each other by chance? You called me Granger?"

"Everyone knows Hermione Granger," he said, not meeting her eyes. "You're famous."

"What's your name, then?" she asked him.

"It's Goyle, Gregory Goyle. We went to school together."

"Hi Gregory," a small, hesitant smile upon her face.

…..

I guess this is just me trying to get back into writing. I know that things would never play out the way I've written, but hey, in a perfect world, I think Hermione would be the all-forgiving type. I mean, we as writers tend to put her on a pedestal sometimes, but her character is just as flawed as we are. Anyway, reviews and constructive criticism always welcome.


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